Beach-related Links

About the Network

The Beach Network is a group of individuals and institutions working together to provide healthy, safe beaches for people to enjoy while preserving their delicate ecology.

We are beach managers, scientists, technicians and concerned citizens who want to share information on the latest research and technology available. This includes all aspects of beach safety, health and management, marine and freshwater, lakes and riverine, private and public.

Our communications exist primarily via this website, i.e. the forums and listserv. We will hold annual meetings concurrently with venues such as the National Beach Association, IWA, Clean Beaches Council or regional associations.

To become a member, join our listserve, or contact us with any questions, e-mail: safebeaches@gmail.com.

Beach-related Links

Management
Clean Beaches Council
A not-for-profit organization devoted to increasing public awareness and volunteer participation in beach sustainability.

Scottish Environment Protection Agency - Bathing Water Section
SEPA
Commited to providing comprehensive information on the quality of Scotland's bathing waters

Past Reports

Public Health

Clean Water Act
U.S. EPA website detailing background information, history, information and updates.
BEACH Act
U.S. EPA website also links to meetings, newsletter, and survey results.
CDC Division of Parasitic Diseases: Healthy Swimming
CDC’s Healthy Swimming site focuses on swimming in chlorinated and disinfected venues and useful information focused on natural bodies of water.
USGS Microbiology Workshop
"A Workshop about Major Accomplishments and Future Directions in Public Health Microbiology,"
Columbus, Ohio, February 15-18, 2005.
Heal The Bay
Heal the Bay is a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to making Southern California coastal waters and watersheds, including Santa Monica Bay, safe, healthy and clean.

Monitoring

Beach Water Quality Monitoring System
The Beach Water Quality Monitoring System provides specific information regarding the most recent water quality conditions at local beaches. The site is a partnership effort between Earth 911, Oceana, and participating states and communities.
USGS GLSC Modeling
Project S.A.F.E. (Swimming Advisory Forecast Estimate) for Lake St. through Ogden Dunes beaches (Gary, Indiana).
USGS Water Ohio
Beach monitoring research information for Ohio.
NRDC Testing the Waters
(also see: http://www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw/titinx.asp and http://wqm.igsb.uiowa.edu/activities/beach/beach.htm)
A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches.This edition of Testing the Waters also identifies the number of times each beach violated public health standards, finding that 200 designated swimming beaches violated these standards at least 25 percent of the time. The 2006 survey is based on information reported for 2005.

Source identification
Pathogens
USGS website on pathogen exposure through recreational water and microbial source tracking.

Ecology
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
SCCWRP is a joint powers agency focusing on marine environmental research, whose common mission is to gather the necessary scientific information so that our member agencies can effectively, and cost-efficiently, protect the Southern California marine environment.

Conferences